Danny DeVito’s comments about The Penguinmake me appreciate both the hit DC TV show and Batman Returns even more. The Penguin episode 8’s ending essentially solidified it as a modern DC classic in the eyes of many, myself included. The show explored the version of the DC villain in somewhat of a new light after the more grounded, gritty tone that was established for the universe by the time of The Batman’s ending in 2022.
Rather than focus on the more exaggerated, fantastical elements of Batman’s world, The Penguin’s cast of characters was contained within a compelling mobster story. As I have alluded to, this proved to resonate with audiences and critics across the world, with The Penguin’s reception not only making it a big talking point of 2024 but also raising expectations for The Batman - Part II’s story. Despite the radical difference in tone between The Penguin and Batman Returns, the actor responsible for playing the DC villain in the latter has commented on the former, increasing my love for both iterations.
The Penguin Has Proven He Can Be Adapted Very Differently & Still Work
In many ways, Danny DeVito's reflection on Colin Farrell's The Penguin makes the character all the more interesting. DeVito first mentioned how much he simply enjoyed the show, stating that Farrell is giving the veteran actor a run for his money after the latter played the DC villain in Batman Returns. Just by praising Farrell's version of the Penguin, DeVito proves that there is enough room for very different versions of the same character to exist. This is later summed up even better by DeVito:
"
But I think we both really do a substantially good job with Oswald from different angles. You know, mine had no Italian overtones of mafia or guns in that way. I was just the, you know, egomaniac trying to take over the city. I was, you know, a misunderstood bird, a bird who cannot fly. So mine is a totally different character than in The Penguin with Colin, which is good. It's good. Here you got a gangster penguin. It's fine, and he's doing a great job."
Above all, these comments sum up just how many differences there are between both iterations of the character. Importantly, though, they reinforce how well both versions work. Farrell's mobster version of Oswald Cobb has just as much of a place in Batman's rogues gallery as DeVito's more exaggerated, cartoonish iteration does. Of course, what matters is finding the right tone and style to depict these contrasting types, which The Penguin and Batman Returns do perfectly.
The Difficulties Of Becoming The Penguin Make The Character & Performances More Impressive
One of the elements of Colin Farrell's Penguin that is regularly discussed is how unrecognizable the actor is in the role. The sheer amount of prosthetic makeup used to transform Farrell into Oz Cobb is remarkable, but this seems to be somewhat of a constant for the character. DeVito went on to comment about the Penguin's prosthetic elements from when he played the character. As well as highlighting how different both versions can be, DeVito's quotes provide a similarity too, increasing the DC villain's interesting qualities further:
"
I understand the trauma of going through, like, hours and hours of makeup, and you're transforming yourself . It's different with me, because wherever I go, I'm Oswald Cobblepot, you know, people could see me. You can't hide me. You know what I mean, that kind of thing. Colin could go anywhere he wants with that makeup and go sit in a restaurant. They wouldn't go, 'Hey it's Colin Farrell, hey,' you know, he doesn't look anything like what he did in The Penguin. I mean, it's hard to hide me, even with pounds of makeup as The Penguin."
Evidently, it was not only Farrell who required hours in makeup chairs to transform into Oswald Cobblepot. This raises another way in which the Penguin is a fascinating character; Farrell and DeVito are two very different actors with their own styles and genre preferences, as typified by their respective performances as one of Batman's best villains. Despite these differences, the challenges of actually embodying the character remain the same, providing an intriguing dichotomy.
I'm Glad Two Entirely Different Versions Of The Penguin Have Both Gotten Such Positive Receptions
Both Were Excellent & Both Should Be Praised
All of this is to say that I'm very glad that two radically different versions of the Penguin can exist and be equally well received. It would have been easy for critics or audiences to look at Farrell's Penguin after what is known of the cartoonish character from the comics - and DeVito's version - and criticize it for being too different, serious, or glum. In the same vein, the perception of DeVito's version of the villain could have changed from positive to negative based on how much Farrell was praised. After all, revisionism is commonplace with big franchises in modern Hollywood.
We, as fans, now have two well-received, equally compelling mainstream versions of the Penguin in live-action
Batman
cinema...
Thankfully, though, neither scenario transpired. This could admittedly be due to the aforementioned differences between both versions. Perhaps they are simply so different that both can exist freely without either feeling like a copycat. Regardless of the reasoning, we, as fans, now have two well-received, equally compelling mainstream versions of the Penguin in live-action Batman cinema after Batman Returns and The Penguin, with DeVito's comments highlighting just how good both can be in a number of ways.
Created by Lauren LeFranc, The Penguin is a crime-drama spin-off television series of 2022's film The Batman. Set shortly after the events of The Batman, Oz Cobb, A.K.A. the Penguin, begins his rise in the underworld of Gotham City as he contends with the daughter of his late boss, Carmine Falcone, for control of the crime family's empire.
CastColin Farrell , Cristin Milioti , Rhenzy Feliz , Michael Kelly , Shohreh Aghdashloo , Deirdre O'Connell , Clancy Brown , James Madio , Scott Cohen , Michael Zegen , Carmen Ejogo , Theo Rossi
Custom Image by Lewis Glazebrook
English (US) ·